A Limerick, A Limerick, A Limerick!!

Here's another poetry form for April' "Poetry Month" ~ Have fun!!

A Limerick is a rhymed humorous or nonsense poem of five lines which originated in Limerick, Ireland. The most commonly heard first line of a limerick starts with: "There once was a man from ___________."

Example:

The Man From Aruba
                      
There once was a man from Aruba,
Whose favorite hobby was scuba.
Every day he would wish,
He could spear a big fish.
But settled instead for canned tuna.         
          

                         © 2005 Jim Dupy

The Limerick has a set rhyming scheme of: A-A-B-B-A (meaning lines ENDING in “A” must rhyme with each other and lines ENDING in “B” must rhyme with each other) and with a syllable pattern of: 9-9-6-6-9. OR, perhaps more common is: 8-8-5-5-8. (See details per line below) and some limericks even mix it up a little.

Line 1 – “a” – 8 or 9 syllables

Line 2 – “a” – 8 or 9 syllables

Line 3 – “b” – 5 or 6 syllables

Line 4 – “b” – 5 or 6 syllables

Line 5 – “a” – 8 or 9 syllables

Here is a rather famous limerick with the pattern "sounded out" underneath each line (written in blue) ~ the number of "DUMS" is the important part ~ also notice the rhyming pattern A-A-B-B-A:

There was an old man from Peru, (A)
da DUM da da DUM da da DUM (3 DUMS)
who dreamed he was eating his shoe. (A)
da DUM da da DUM da da DUM (3 DUMS)
He awoke in the night (B)
da DUM da da DUM (2 DUMS)
with a terrible fright, (B)
da da DUM da da DUM (2 DUMS)
and found out that it was quite true. (A)
da DUM da da DUM da da DUM (3 DUMS)

It’s rather “sing-songy” so just play around with it and then check to be sure the correct lines end in rhymes and that you have the correct number of syllables. It’s tricky, but very fun!!

Here you can see me PLOTTING out my new little limerick:

Six-year-old granddaughter, Taylor,

da DUM da da DUM da da DUM
Amazing piano player.

da DUM da da DUM da da DUM
A song she will hear

da DUM da da DUM                    
Then play it by ear,

da DUM da da DUM
So pretty, I’ll have to pay her!

da DUM da da DUM da da DUM

Here is the finished version: 

The Piano Player 

   

Six-year-old granddaughter, Taylor,

Amazing piano player.

A song she will hear               
Then play it by ear,

So pretty, I’ll have to pay her!

                        © 2012 Stephanie Abney

And,  here’s the one I wrote last year:

The Poetry Fest

        

Stephanie had a poetry fest

Encouraging friends to do their best

“Write a poem each day,

I’ll show you the way.”

“At the end of the month we will rest!

                       © 2011 Stephanie Abney